Todd and Veronica Andersen, right, presented a check to Melissa Shene, palliative care provider, left, and Linda Chase, patient care coordinator with Hospice of Warren County. The funds were raised from hot dog sales throughout the Fourth of July parade - “Hot Dogs for Hospice” - in memory of their daughter, Stephanie.

Stephanie Andersen’s favorite day of the year was the Fourth of July.

Andersen passed away in 2018 after a battle with leukemia.

When the construction of the roundabout altered the parade route to bring it past her parents’ business – Peterson-Blick Funeral Home – “Hot Dogs for Hospice” was born.

Todd and Veronica Andersen sold hot dogs throughout the parade in Stephanie’s honor.

And it was wildly successful – they presented a 1,601.39 check to Hospice of Warren County earlier this month as a result.

The Fourth of July was Stephanie Andersen’s favorite day of the year. When the 75th Annual Warren County Fourth of July Parade was rerouted past the family business this year, Stephanie’s parents, Todd and Veronica Andersen, decided to make it count.

“We are grateful for the gift and honored for the opportunity that Todd and Veronica provided both Hospice of Warren County and our community,” Hospice of Warren County Executive Director Darlene Schultz-John said.

“The Andersen’s showed us one way to manage the experience of grief. They acknowledged the pain of their loss and acted to connect with Stephanie in a positive way. When I think about ‘Hot Dogs for Hospice’, I imagine Stephanie somewhere amongst the parade goers … smiling.”